September 27th, 2011, 11:22 pm

The Dudes try and put into context what the Sharks undefeated preseason means, if anything. And they tackle the biggest Sharks question out there- who will make the 3rd and 4th lines? After charting the rise of Wingels and the fall of McGinn, Mike and Doug have an opinion, but realize they’ve been wrong a lot of preseasons past. After all that, they tackle the new discipline method handed out by Brendan Shanahan, and talk about the Wayne Simmonds and Sean Avery incidents.

6 games for the hit seems pretty absurd to me. I haven’t been keeping up with the video on all the NHL suspensions, but share the Dudes’ nervousness about the precedent this is all setting. Seems like things are snapping a bit too far in the opposite direction, but maybe it’s just because it’s preseason.

I guess ultimately as long as the standards are communicated and enforced consistently, it’s probably an improvement over the prior disciplinary regime.

I can’t say I disagree under the way rules are being enforced now. Owen Sound (the receiving player) was showing his number to McGinn the whole way in and was definitely very vulnerable. McGinn also turns and looks like a guilty puppy after the hit.

Also, I think getting them to stop making these kinds of checks in the minors is almost more important as that trains players as to what is acceptable throughout their careers. 6 games is fine by me.

That’s right hateseed. Colin White would have to be put through waivers and that would be a whopper of a shocker. I don’t think his roster spot is in question but he might lose some playing time to Vandermeer early in the year.

I think it’s more that they want to see what they have in both players. White is obviously playing the 3rd defensive defensemen role, and Vandermeer is below him on the chart, but you have to get Vandermeer in games occasionally, and it will be at White’s expense until we have injuries.

I have always been of the opinion that it is better to be fresher in the playoffs than to have a higher seed (so long as you make it in). With that said, I would love to see Vandemeer spell White, and even Murray and Vlasic, every once in a while (same with Braun and Boyle, Burns, and Demers).

Bob McKenzie says that Winchester is working out a contract with the Sharks. What are The dudes thoughts on him getting a contract. Before anybody rips on him for getting one punched, the Sharks staff have said the reason he went down was because along with the punch Volpatti landed a kick to his groin.

I’m totally cool with Winchester, I think he’s been our best 4th line option all preseason, better than Murray and Desjardins. And the one punch thing doesn’t really bother me- if we got all uppity on guys who lost fights, Jody Shelley would have been in our crosshairs the whole time he was in SJ. Kinda like UFC; pretty much everyone loses sometime.

someone noted that Winchester might have been kneed even before the one-shot, I haven’t gone back to the tape to see if he was already woozie or something, but even if that’s not the case – he got one-shot. It happens. I thought the comments later in the games about Vandermeer fighting were funny though, “this veteran isn’t gonna go wading in all willy nilly…” or something like that.